Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-04-25
WIZ. DAVIS AND GEN. BEsuREGaRp.
Some sharp Remarks About shiloh
from the Chief Of the Late Con.
federacy.

CHICAGO, April ga special from New Orleans
says: Jefferson Davis has replied 10 the cdinmunl-
cotton or Gen. Beauregard. printed sunday AMI
Dadverting on the remarks OF the former de-
iyered the time OF the unwilling OF tr ltr1t -,
equesteria1 statue OF Albert sydney JnhnSrnt AZ
Metairie cemetery. In this county, AprI a. The
president OF the late Coiirederacy says: "My ~
marks were unprsmeditatod. and under thc CIR
cumstan II would have been very dlficult N
not Impossible, 10 make an exact report. Il seems,
however, TO have been suilIcenrlN clear Ia N,
understood by the writer OF the communication
who undertakes % reduce q quotation - plain
language, and then, in qGibhlng explanation II
his plain language. shows mat H. knew tine true
meaning OF my remarks. Ii he aid not I VIII aid
his understanding 10y specially stating that IA my
opinion,
THE ONLY MISTAKE OF GIN JOHNSTON
in relation 20 the battle OF Shiloh was Ia nyr per-
sonally making the order OF mar n from Cur1nth
towards Pfttshurg Landing. for which ms large
experience In the movement of troops peculiarly
qualifed him, instead OF tu;rustiuC that cgty 10
General Beauregard. HIS sec0nd IN command. aud
who had seen comparatively little service with
troops IN the field II In this way, as appears 10y
conJempOraneOus statements day was ns,dleSSly
spent Ia the march. A. was a mistake with serious
Consequences. He follows win the bod assertion
that was mistaken I'm SIlnnosinp the tpptrraui,t,,
despatch had been lost in which General Johnston
explained 10 me his plan OF battle. 10 prove my
mistake The emphatic announcement Is made n Is
not lost. one might reasonably expect. after such
a declaration. that the despatch Described by fns
given despatch reciting the order OF the marcl~
from Cor1hth and the assignment Ia positions on
the fel,., anf this Il offered Is the telegram now
occupying or attention
A PooR PUIFIIllEST or THE ROPE
suggested Ivy the round assertion that the dis
patch referred 10 by me had not been lost. In re-
gard 10 the last dispatch stated nol hing new in
my remarks uf the 9Th instant Both dispatches
We're lost, but the one published was SUI Piled
from the original in The possession of w p john
StoD. II gave the order OF the march and the GEN
eral disposition OF battle. The other as stated,
Was In a cypher agreed upon bet ween Gen. john
StOn and myself and only Used On spe Ial occasions
TIE original Tor obvious reasons. was not there
fore TO be found I'm his letter book I shall not
notice I'm detail the selfaudaton OF the long com
munication under review hut viii merely say that
I ii Gen. Beauregard was the author of the plan OF
battle; II he WAS present throughout with the
troops who fought IL; II he was on the field when
Johnston iell; II the eneIay had not been driven
! from point 10 point, and II General BeauTeganl
throughout the whole day before, a. Well as after
the death OF General Johnston did direct the gen
eral movements OF our forces. ana did, after The
fall Of his chief, actively press the attack 80 that
! the right and center Of the enemy began 20 give
way ia conclusion after General Beauregard had
assumed command, and IL the order 10 retire was
not given until AFTER 1.-The attempG 10 make a con-
certed onslaught had been made, but which. he
states, was desUltory, without spirit aror and
failed In effect and II it not until Just before
sunset that he ordered cessation OF hOstilitieS-
then many eye-wltneS,eS OF good repute
HAVE GREATLY MISSED THE IMPORTANT FACT
in regard 10 the hattie OF Shiloh, aud especially as
to how a victory was well nigh won and how iC
was forfeited Mere assertion viii not p.but that
mass OF weighty evidence lIch has been adduced.
1 have no disposition 10 enter into this coHfro-
yerSy, and did not mention Gen. Beaumgard,
either 10y name or official designation, In my
remarks Of the 9th Instant He Undertook 10
make plain, a reference 10 himself, what might
have been generally supposed TO belong 20 some
stan of1icer, but he knew the r1ghtful owner, and
claimed his own and proved that IL could not refer
TO anything that happened on the Held of Shiloh.
Ii would have been more pertinent II he had shown
that the order OF march had not been the cause or
delay in the arrival OF the troops at the point "
Junction.